The Dark Star

In the glare of the pier's headlights they descended. Passengers were

entering the vast, damp enclosure; porters, pier officers, ship's

officers, sailors, passed to and fro as they moved toward the gangway

where, in the electric glare of lamps, the clifflike side of the

gigantic liner loomed up.

At sight of the monster ship Rue's heart leaped, quailed, leaped

again. As she set one slender foot on the gangway such an

indescribable sensation seized her that she caught at Neeland's arm

and held to it, almost faint with the violence of her emotion.

A steward took the suitcase, preceded them down abysmal and gorgeous

stairways, through salons, deep into the dimly magnificent bowels of

the ocean giant, then through an endless white corridor twinkling with

lights, to a stateroom, where a stewardess ushered them in.

There was nobody there; nobody had been there.

"He dare not come," whispered Neeland in Ruhannah's ear.

The girl stood in the centre of the stateroom looking silently about

her.

"Have you any English and French money?" he asked.

"No."

"Give me--well, say two hundred dollars, and I'll have the purser

change it."

She went to her suitcase, where it stood on the lounge; he unstrapped

it for her; she found the big packet of treasury notes and handed them

to him.

"Good heavens!" he muttered. "This won't do. I'm going to have the

purser lock them in the safe and give me a receipt. Then when you meet

the Princess Mistchenka, tell her what I've done and ask her advice.

Will you, Rue?"

"Yes, thank you."

"You'll wait here for me, won't you?"

"Yes."

So he noted the door number and went away hastily in search of the

purser, to do what he could in the matter of foreign money for the

girl. And on the upper companionway he met the Princess Mistchenka

descending, preceded by porters with her luggage.

"James!" she exclaimed. "Have you come aboard to elope with me?

Otherwise, what are you doing on the Lusitania at this very ghastly

hour in the morning?"

She was smiling into his face and her daintily gloved hand retained

his for a moment; then she passed her arm through his.

"Follow the porter," she said, "and tell me what brings you here, my

gay young friend. You see I am wearing the orchids you sent me. Do you

really mean to add yourself to this charming gift?"

He told her the story of Ruhannah Carew as briefly as he could; at her

stateroom door they paused while he continued the story, the Princess

Mistchenka looking at him very intently while she listened, and never

uttering a word.